


Bonding in Battle

by emmadilla



Series: 30 Day OTP Challenge [22]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Battle, Bonding, F/M, Fighting, Healing, Wounded Lavellan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:43:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmadilla/pseuds/emmadilla
Summary: The Inquisitor and her team take on a group of enemies, and when she's wounded, The Iron Bull makes sure to take care of her afterward.





	Bonding in Battle

**Author's Note:**

> 30 Day OTP Challenge
> 
> Day 22: In Combat/Battle

I ducked just as the mage’s fireball sailed past me, only a few hairs singeing because of my quick action. Loading my bow, I took a moment to aim and then sunk an arrow in his head, felling him. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of burnt hair, notching another arrow as I saw movement in the distance before Bull could even announce, “More incoming!”

 

Varric cursed under his breath as he hurried to reload Bianca, and I stepped just a little bit closer to him to provide cover. The shots from Bianca were powerful and could down an enemy immediately, but reload was slow, which was why I preferred a regular bow over a crossbow. I needn’t have worried too much about covering my companions, as Bull was taking down enemies almost as fast as they could arrive, swinging his mighty axe with precision and ease borne of years of practice and use. It was mesmerising at times, and I had to force myself to tear my eyes away so that I could stay alert. Solas stayed mid-range, firing off magical projectiles like he and Bull were having a contest to see who could down the most enemies.

 

And despite Solas’ best efforts, Bull was clearly winning.

 

I suddenly heard a twig snap off to my left and I whirled just in time to see a small group rush out of the woods toward us. Varric got off a shot and downed one of them, and I sank a couple of arrows into another to take them down, but there were three more still coming. Varric and I started backing up, and he started reloading in earnest as I kept my bow drawn, waiting to get a sure shot before I loosed an arrow. I managed to take down one more before they converged on us, but in a twist of poor fate, a mighty roar sounded directly behind us.

 

It appeared that our skirmishing had disturbed a bear’s slumber.

 

Quickly holstering my bow, I drew my knives, knowing that in this close space, my bow was not going to be very helpful. Varric swiped his bayonet at the bear as I tried to parry all of the blows from the enemy soldier, but I wasn’t quite fast enough. A blade sliced down my cheek, opening a long, stinging wound in my face. I grit my teeth, figuring at least it wasn’t my eye, and ducked and dodged his next blows. One of my greatest assets in battle was my maneuverability, and I took full advantage of it. Bobbing and weaving, I quickly found myself behind my target and I buried my knives in his back. A split-second later, Varric buried a shot right in the bear’s skull, killing it instantly. I whooped in victory and laughed, ready to reach for my bow once more.

 

Unfortunately, in my celebration, I didn’t notice the enemy with a club sneaking up behind me.

 

When the dense club hit my back, it was like a sharp shock went through my body, and I forgot how to breathe for a moment as I fell, trying to get my lungs to start working properly again. Everything seemed to slow down and come into a sharp focus as I laid there on the ground. I could see all the colour variations in the blades of grass, feel every single bump in the uneven earth beneath me, and vaguely, distantly, I could hear shouting. At first I wasn’t sure who or what it was, but I realised it was Varric, at least at first. I couldn’t make out individual words, my mind foggy as I recovered from the blow, but I figured he must be cursing at them as he normally did. And then, after that, there was a roar.

 

That source was unmistakeable. That was The Iron Bull.

 

The fight didn’t last much longer, filled with growls and blows and the sound of weapons slicing through flesh before bodies dropped to the earth with a sickening thud. Then, I was being rolled over as I could hear Bull’s voice, coloured with worry, “Gilrael? Gilly?”

 

I groaned and grimaced as my body was shifted, the injury flaring. I didn’t feel like I could move, but I could at least speak as I did my best to assure him, “I’m alright. Got caught … with a club.” I panted heavily as I tried to work through the pain, tried to force my body to sit up and stand up, but it wouldn’t listen, not without shooting pains racing through my back and my limbs.

 

Solas was at my side. “Here, this should help you get back to camp.” A soft light spread over my body and with it, I felt the injury ease. It wasn’t erased completely, wasn’t healed fully, but I felt like I could at least move now, which was progress.

 

With Bull’s help, I stood and thanked Solas for his healing, and we all headed back to camp to rest and heal whatever wounds we had. Varric had a few scrapes, nothing to write home about. The Iron Bull had taken only a few blows, but they were shallow and had already stopped bleeding. Solas was untouched, as usual, his nimbleness and his magic unmatched. Our camp was, unfortunately, not that close, but at least we didn’t have to hike miles to get to it. We were slower going because of me, mostly, because my upper back and my shoulders ached something fierce and I wanted more than anything to lie down. Bull stuck with me closely for our journey back, and I could feel his eyes on me almost constantly. I caught him once and flashed him the best smile I could, trying to encourage him that I was fine, though I wasn’t so sure he was convinced. Oh well, I did my best.

 

I could have sobbed in relief as we finally entered the camp, and I went straight to my tent, not even stopping to grab food as the only thing I wanted to do was lie down. I didn’t bother to remove my armour or my boots or anything as I collapsed on my cot, face down, about the only comfortable position I thought I could achieve.

 

Perhaps ten minutes after I had laid down, I heard someone enter the tent. “Kadan?”

 

“I’m alright, Bull, I promise.”

 

A low chuckle. “You were never very good at lying. Odd trait for a rogue.” I could hear him set something down before he entreated me, “Come, let me take a look at that wound.”

 

The urge to argue rose in me, but I knew that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. There was hardly anything quite as stubborn in this world as Bull, and so I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up into a sitting position. He was, at least, willing to help me with removing my armour and clothes, which was a good thing because I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done so before, though usually under much more pleasurable circumstances. My nipples still pebbled with the chill in the air, but he was far more focused on my upper back, where the club had landed.

 

I hissed as he gingerly touched it, and he apologised. “It’s a bad bruise, though without whatever it was Solas did, it would likely be far worse.” I couldn’t repress a shiver, knowing what that meant. Efficient club wielders had been known to easily break and crush bones. Without Solas’ intervention, I could have potentially been crippled for life. The meaning was not lost on me.

 

The sound of water being wrung drew my curiousity. “What are doing back there?”

 

“An old remedy that is used for tending wounds after battle. It should help the stiffness and pain.”

 

I wasn’t sure what exactly he’d added to the water, but I got a waft of a light, herbal scent as he gently laid the damp cloth across my shoulders and back, making sure to cover the wound completely. After a few minutes, I relaxed, and it felt like whatever it was it was seeping into my very bones. There was still some lingering soreness, but it was hardly enough to even register after the amount of pain I’d been in earlier. Setting my hand on Bull’s, I murmured, “Thank you.”

 

His lips pressed against my temple, and then his fingers turned my head just enough so he could kiss me directly on the lips. Not passionately or heated like many of our kisses were … just soft. Sweet. Reassuring. Loving, even. He smiled as we parted and he implored me, “Rest now, Kadan. I will bring you something to eat later.” And with one last kiss pressed to my forehead he left the tent.

 

I stretched back out on my stomach on the cot, exhaustion setting in now. It took a little time to navigate the blankets where I wanted them, but once they were in place, it didn’t take long for me to drift off, the herbal scent lulling me into a restful sleep.


End file.
